Fire boss’s warning over South Yorkshire deer rescues

South Yorkshire residents are being urged not to risk their lives trying to rescue deer from open water.

Fire crews were called to two incidents this week after residents attempted to rescue deer stranded in a canals near Mexborough and Stainforth.

Station manager Simon Dillon, said: “People shouldn’t be risking their lives by attempting rescues in this way.

“Deer are extremely timid and easily frightened.

“They will swim away from humans until they are fatigued to the point where they can no longer swim, so any attempt to rescue them will almost certainly fail and is likely to do the animal more harm than good.

“In most cases, these deer make their own way out of the water. The last thing we want is people putting their own lives in danger by entering the water.